Loving a Cursed Heart
by Cheetay
Summary: Arthur and Lukas made a terrible mistake that left them both cursed- one with a heart of fire and the other a heart of ice. One searches for a cure while the other crumbles and succumbs to another curse that is much harder to break. Can it be broken? (Bad Summary) Rated for minor violence. Eventual Dennor and USUK. Dragon!England and Magic!Norway.
1. Prologue

****Sooo... I got this idea a long time ago while re-watching one of the Chronicles of Narnia and I thought "why not?" I don't plan on it being a very long story, but who knows. I'm still working out the specific plot and whatnot, but hopefully it's not too bad!****

****I don't own Hetalia~****

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><p><strong><em>Prologue: Made of Ice and Fire<em>**

The sun had just begun to slowly sink beyond the vast mountain range, bright rays slipping through the sharp peaks.

"So this is a dragon's horde…" a small voice spoke up in awe.

His companion, however, simply scanned the trove before them: millions of gold-made objects stretched high into the sky. The last sparkles of sunlight danced across the treasures, creating the illusion of them dancing as if made of fire.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Dull, deep green eyes met sharp, icy blue ones.

"You know I would not have come here had I no intention, Lukas." The taller sighed, "There is nothing more for me. It is my only option."

"Your life will become harder though, not easier" the shorter reminded.

"I do not care. I am destined to forever die and wish to fight my fate" the green-eyed blond argued. He then began his descent down the rocky outcrop.

Lukas sighed "There is still hope for you, you know, Art-"

"No there is not!" Arthur snapped, eyes flashing in the dim dusk night. "No one will _ever_ love me! I refuse to feel the agony of my death over and over again, Lukas!

Silence fell over the two as Arthur glared at Lukas, chest heaving as heavy breaths dissipated into the cooling air. Lukas just stared back, eyes emotionless.

"You're making a mistake, Arthu-"

"I am not" he growled, turning his back on the shorter blond. "You are destined to live forever without feeling anything in your heart of ice." Arthur snorted, grabbing at his shirt above the left half of his chest; above his hurting heart.

"I am to have this pain in my heart for the rest of eternity. Not even love can save me. True, pure love does not exist." His blazing eyes locked once more with his friends. "I am going to fight this curse with another."

Lukas let out a sigh, as if tired. "Du er gal…" he murmured, climbing down beside Arthur. "All I can do is wish you luck then, my friend… I promise to do my part to help you. This curse… shall be hard to break, however, due to the form you will take."

"I don't care" Arthur grumbled, almost childishly. He then blinked, eyes growing clear and trusting: "I know that if the time ever comes, you will be able to break it.

Crouching down, Arthur began to collect the enchanted gold treasure that belonged to a dragon long ago. Lukas stood over him, watching with no power to stop.

He cursed his icy, unfeeling heart. _'It's just something he has to do'_ he reminded himself, slowly turning away from his closest friend.

"One day" he murmured, glancing over his shoulder. "This will all end, min venn… And we can finally live happily, live truly." He bowed his head as gold dust began to swirl around Arthur. "I wish you luck and safety, Arthur."

"You too, Lukas."

His voice began to bend and crack, becoming like a deep snarl.

Walking away Lukas whispered: "I promise to help protect you, my dear friend, so long as I, too, am cursed." His voice did not crack, as his heart felt nothing as he left behind his one and only friend to the painful transformation that gripped him.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. Their lives were never meant to take the severe turn it did.

Eight months ago, both Arthur and Lukas were students of a powerful sorceress. Both had a strong presence of magic about them, and once they reached the age of 18 they were finally accepted to hone and further strengthen their powers.

Six months ago, both agreed that the sorceress was going far too slow in her lessons and they were hungry for more advanced spells.

Three weeks later, the friends snuck into their teacher's library under the cover of night and stole a tome with attack and alteration spells.

That same night they headed deep into the woods and practiced a few of the more interesting looking spells.

And later that very same night, the two boys managed to set a tree on fire. And that fire spread to another tree. And another. And another, until the forest blazed.

Terrified, they had fled back to the student hut and hid the tome underneath the floorboard of their room. With scared eyes they pretended to sleep in their beds, praying and desperately hoping their teacher would not find out.

They apparently did not wish hard enough.

The next morning they awoke to the cold eyes of the sorceress, who held the stolen item inches from their noses.

"You want to learn magic that badly?" She asked, eyes darkening. "Do you have any idea what you two have caused? You burned down a whole forest. Killed off many animals and plants, _and_ a witches hut!

"You two need to be punished." She growled.

"In all due respects, teacher, we did nothing" Arthur had cut in, "We were in our rooms all night studying the animation spells you taught us." As if it would help their argument, Lukas whispered one of the spells and caused the table nearby to start crawling around like a lion.

The Sorceress just laughed, "First you steal, then you destroy, and finally you lie to me. If you boys do not wish to own up to your mistakes, then I have no choice but to punish you!"

She had then cursed them. The next thing Lukas remembered was waking up surrounded by the burnt forest, hearing a most dreadful scream of pain.

Arthur had been writhing in pain, clawing and ripping at the fabric above his left breast, letting out agonizingly painful cries.

Yet Lukas felt no grief; he felt no burning desire to help his friend or lessen his burden. He felt _nothing_. He could not even feel the fear of feeling nothing. He knew it was buzzing around in his brain, but he _felt nothing_. It was as if his heart was made of ice.

"It burns" Arthur had whimpered, seeking comfort in his friend. His green eyes were dilated, dark, and running with tears.

Lukas began to piece together what had happened as his friend slowly recovered from the attack; the sorceress had cursed their hearts. One to be made of ice, forever uncaring, and the other to be attacked by fire, forever punished. His mind desperately thought back to the spell, recalling only "until" and "true love."

But as the months wore on, and Lukas got used to his emotionless heart, Arthur's condition got worse and worse. Every attack was a little longer, a little hotter, a little more painful, and it was killing him inside. He couldn't handle the torture, which led them to today.

He decided he would rather become a cruel, aggressive, mindless, lonely dragon than search with his friend for the 'love' that would break the spell.

Now it was up to Lukas.

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><p><strong>So how'd ya like the prologue? Constructive criticism would be very appreciated!<strong>

****Also, don't expect this to be updated very often. I have a lot of college work (still getting used to the school) and am also working on many other oneshots (so many bloody idea's, uuuugh) that have invaded my mind and wont leave. I'll shoot for updating once every two or three months, unless school get's busy... also expect a PruCan or Spamano oneshot sometime in November.  
><strong>**

****Translations (Norwegian):****

****Du er gal- You are nuts/crazy  
>Min venn- My friend<br>****

****Anyway thanks for reading, haha. See ya next time!****

_****~Cheetay****_


	2. Chapter One

**Okay, wow. I was _not_ expecting that many people to follow or faved this story. Thank you all so so so SO much, you have no idea how happy that made me and just how big of a grin it caused.  
>So again, thank you all <em>SO<em> much!  
><strong>

**I do not own Hetalia.**

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><p><strong><em>Chapter 1: A Sorcerer's Struggles<em>**

The afternoon light sprinkled in through the enchanted windows, dulling it so the interior was not bathed in the harsh light. This kept the home cool, ideal conditions for creating spells and potions.

It was a simple house, hidden from the outside world by a spell that made it look like an ancient tree. It consisted of three rooms: a bedroom, a workroom, and a storage room. Lukas had built it himself a long time ago, along with three others. Every few decades he would move to another of his houses, but for now he resided in this one. Each home identical- three rooms and a total of four windows.

The east and west window give nothing but a view of the surrounding forest and wildlife. The north window looks down into a valley where a small village was built a few decades ago.

Looking out the south window gives view to a sparse forest with a large, towering mountain visible in the distance. A mountain many locals call the "Mountain of Death" because few who venture out to climb it return.

The mountain used to scare children into behaving with claims that misbehaved children were sent there to be eaten by a monster.

A monster that none have seen and lived to tell about.

Except Lukas.

For that is the mountain of the dragon.

Arthur's mountain. Lukas' friend. The one who he promised to work hard on breaking a sorceress' curse so that he may break the dragon's spell and free his friend from his eternal pain.

And Lukas never broke his promise. He worked day and night for centuries, studying and perfecting spells that would revert Arthur back into a human. All he could do was wait; day after day, year after year, decade after decade, until five centuries finally rolled by.

Today Lukas had planned on taking one of his less-than-often visits to Arthur. Every visit the dragon became less and less coherent and more beast like. It was beginning to bother the sorcerer. If he could feel worry, he would undoubtedly be drowning in it.

Nonetheless, he began the long hike up to Arthur's mountain keep. The sun was high in the sky, but it took Lukas many hours to climb the mountain, and usually many more to locate the beast taking over his friend's mind.

OoOoOoOoOo

After locating Arthur's cave and finding no dragon, the short blond decided to explore while he awaited the beast's return.

He ventured to the very back of the cavern where the dragon would pile up the bones of his prey and intruders. The thought that his friend still showed signs of neatness in his current state would have amused Lukas, could he feel.

What bothered him was the pile appeared to have grow to twice the size it was on his last visit, and that there were considerably more human bones making up the large mound. Lukas feared what would happen if he did not turn Arthur human again soon.

The more beast like Arthur became meant more humans attacked, which could eventually reveal Arthur's presence.

Which would ultimately lead to Arthur's death.

A heavy thud brought Lukas out of his thoughts as his attention became focused on the beast entering the cave.

The dragon had scales that were as black as night in the shade, but would shine with a green hue in the sunlight and a silver glint in the moonlight. The spines rising from his back were a deep golden color, starting dark by his neck and slowly growing brighter as they moved to the tip of his tail.

The dragon caught scent of his intruder and turned to face him, a feral snarl escaping from his jaws. Undoubtedly he was preparing to scorch the intruder with his heated blaze.

Lukas gazed into the cold, bloodthirsty, hungry, savage green eyes. He mused that, if he could feel, fear would be the emotion to overpower him. Instead he stood calmly with a rather bored look on his face and spoke two simple words: "Husk meg."

The magic that coated his words wove its way into the dragon, and after a few moments the vicious snarls faded into halfhearted growls as recognition flooded back into the beast's eyes.

"Better now, cranky?" The sorcerer scoffed, moving closer to the dragon.

Large jaws opened in a yawn before closing with a huff. "The blasted curse gets stronger and stronger every day. I how much longer before it takes me over completely" Arthur growled, dropping his head to the ground before his friend.

"I have found a remedy to the dragon's curse, Arthur. You must simply tell me when to-"

"Unless" the former sorcerer student snarled, cutting off the blond, "you have found a cure for that cur Witch's spell, I will continue to gamble my identity away to the dragon."

His voice faltered before softening, "I appreciate all you do for me, my friend, but... I just cannot withstand that daily torture."

Lukas touched the dragon's snout, nodding. "No need to explain, Arthur. I will keep searching. Just survive and keep ahold of your identity. I am getting close, I can feel it."

"Are the villagers hunting you again, Lukas?" Arthur asked suddenly, his large eyes studying the worn-out frame of his only friend.

"Not hunting yet, no, but casing and harassing" he sighed, looking up to the dark, star speckled night. Every so often the villages would catch realize he was a sorcerer and attack him. He rarely did anything to provoke them, however. It was just human nature to distrust the outsider, and to displace anyone different from yourself.

His companion growled.

"I can handle them, though. They are small in number and young in age. Very easy to trick and scare off" quietly adding _'except one' _to himself, as Lukas recalled last night.

_"Come out and stand before me, you cowardly monster!" The tall man- no, a boy no more then nineteen years of age- sneered. He stalked around Lukas' hiding spot as if hunting prey, eyes darting through the dusk light in search for the sorcerer._

_"I know you're here!" He snarled, slashing branches of a tree in half with his sword._

_Lukas stared calmly at the boy whose weapon came within inches of severing his head from his body. His spell shimmered through the clearing, bending light around him as to make him invisible. _

_He stared into the child's enraged eyes, trying in vain to figure out why the boy loathed him so. He raked his brain but could not find a reason; he had never done any harm to this boy nor to his village._

_Something about the tall blond intrigued him, though, yet he couldn't pinpoint exactly what._

_"Come on dude, we should get back before nightfall. Tino's stewing venison." He boy's pale companion whined, ruby eyes flickering nervously in the pale light. With a frustrated grunt and halfhearted swipe to the foliage, the tall blond complied._

_Lukas silently watched the pair walk away. For some reason, he was drawn to the loud mouth's blue eyes and spiky, wild blond hair. Nothing stirred in his heart, however, but Lukas knew he desired to see and talk to the boy, and began to devise a plan..._

"Lukas!"

The sorcerer's head jerked up by the loud, booming voice. Clearing his throat he quickly apologized for losing focus. "I was thinking of a safe route home, so I may bypass the young villagers."

The mighty dragon narrowed his eyes but said nothing. He knew his friend was purposely not telling him something, which made him worry. Nothing could be done to open Lukas up when he desired to hold his tongue, so Arthur was simply left to wonder.

The sorcerer slowly made his way down the mountainside, keeping his ears open for signs of the troublesome teenagers.

Luck was apparently on his side and he made it home without incident by the time the moon was high in the sky.

And yet something didn't quite feel right to Lukas. Frowning he scanned his mind for a reason; he hadn't felt anything like this is a very long time, so what… why did he suddenly feel disappointed?

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The next morning Lukas wove his way through the woods at a slow pace. His food storage was getting low and while he gathers most of the food from the forest itself, products such as cheese, coffee, and meat are easier to simply purchase from the village.

The only problem was those teenagers.

He pulled his hood up over his head to hid his blond locks and shade his eyes. He sent up a quick prayer to let him make his purchases without incident.

Because that's always how these things ended. Some villagers start to harass him at a distance but slowly grow more courageous to the point where they would attack him. He then had no other choice but to defend himself, angering the rest of the village and forcing him to move and go into hiding.

That also meant a while without things like coffee. Lukas would rather avoid that happening, especially when he was so close to cracking the sorceresses curse.

Shaking his head he quickly cleared away his thoughts and focused only on replenishing his food store.

He managed to buy his meat, coffee, and cheese without issue; he even decided to splurge and purchase a pastry for his walk home.

That's when everything went south.

The blond teenager spotted him exiting the pastry shop. Lukas didn't even had time to think before the teen initiated the game of chase. He broke through the outer foliage of the woods and swiftly deposited his bags of food in a hollowed tree before bolting farther into the woods.

No words were sent his way, the only sounds were the crashing footfalls of his pursuer.

Zigzagging through the trees Lukas finally found another hollowed tree trunk to duck into. He pressed his body in as deep as he could and tried to make himself as small as possible, and then focused on calming his breathing.

He was the mouse and he could hear the cat stalking around just outside the tree, pushing plants away carefully in his pursuit.

Lukas slowed his breathing further as the loudmouth slunk closer to his hiding spot. Finally, their eyes locked and a cruel grin spread over his tormentor's face.

"Caught ya, you slimy bastard."

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><p><strong>So what did you think? Again, constructive criticism would be loved if you had any :)<strong>

**All chapters will be about this long, if not a little longer. I want to keep them short because I don't want this story to drag on forever, especially when I don't have a perfect plot plan for this yet, ahaha...yeah.**

**I mentioned how much the follows and faves meant to me, but I also want to extend a nice, big, tight hug to all who reviewed.  
><strong>

**ALSO, regarding Norway/Lukas' magic: In my mind, he can make anything he says into a spell by simply injecting magic into it. It just so happens that he prefers to say his spells in Norwegian because, well, I wanted to and I can.**

**Translations:  
>Husk meg- Remember me<br>**

**See y'all next time**

_**~Cheetay**_


	3. Chapter Two

**Hi again! It seems that this story is getting fairly popular, haha. It really makes me happy, seeing how many of you have favorited and followed this story! It puts a smile on my face and gives me the drive to write more~  
><strong>

**Anyway, I don't own Hetalia-Enjoy!  
><strong>

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><p><strong><em>Chapter Two: Plans and Complications<em>**

Arthur closed his eyes and threw his head into the air. This was one of the few times he loved being a dragon. He had complete control over his actions and he was free; soaring through the air like no one else could; enjoying the way the air moved and parted around him in his flight.

More and more he found himself trapped within the beast's mind, fully conscious of his actions yet at the same time not. It was like a dream where he floated in space with a projector screen in front of him, allowing him to see through the eyes of the beast.

What he saw often scared him. The fire that erupted from his jaws, burning humans and scorching bones; the blood that oozed from prey such as deer, mountain goat, and other creatures. The way it slowly seeped into the ground and painted it dark red.

He used to be able to fight for control, but that became harder and harder as the beast's mind took over more of his own.

Becoming a dragon and destroying his chances of living as a human once again.

He trusted Lukas, though, to take care of him even if he lost himself to the monster. If there was even a sliver of the real Arthur left, Lukas would find it.

The only problem was the other curse. Arthur would rather lose himself completely to a beast than to feel his heart catch fire daily, slowly bringing him to the brink of death before fading. The pain was beyond excruciating and it terrified Arthur more than morphing into a dragon forever.

Drawing out a long sigh, Arthur closed his eyes and folded his wings tight against his body, plummeting back down to earth.

The adrenaline that ran through his veins invigorated him, evaporating his worrying thoughts and focusing only on the feeling of his freefall. The wind blared loudly past him, whistling through his scales.

Finally, a few hundred feet from the ground, his wings shot out and he continued to glide back down to his cave. He could feel his mind retreating as the dragon took over. By the time he had landed, there was no Arthur left.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

A hiss escaped from his mouth as his companion cleaned his wounds. Who would have guessed the scum knew how to fight?

"Ouch" Mathias hissed again as Tino continued to dress his injuries.

"Really Mathias, you gotta be more careful. You're real luck that none of them are deep, but why would you pick a fight with the woodsman?"

"He's not a 'woodsman' he's a witch- Ow!" He swatted away the pale hand poking at his injuries.

"Oh? You had a run in with a witch?" Gilbert snickered, retracting his arm to cross them over his chest.

"Yeah, I did!"

"Where's your tail then?" Feliciano asked, poking at his butt.

"Yeah, or the reptile scales?" Gilbert jumped in, poking his chest.

"Or cat eyes?" Antonio added.

Fingers forced themselves into his mouth and pried it open for a peek. "No frog tongue, either." Frances confirmed.**

"Okay okay I get it, alright?" Mathias shoved the blond away. "He didn't cast any spells on me or nothin', but he _is_ a witch!"

"And how do you know that?" Ludwig asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've seen him! Hell, he probably didn't even have a knife on him! He probably used a spell to cut me like this!" Mathias cried, waving his sore arms.

"Well if I were him, I wouldda made the cuts deeper then. If it was as easy as castin' a spell" Berwald grunted.

The injured blond shot a glare at the taller blond. "You guys are all assholes. I'm tellin' ya, he's magic! That's why we could never find him."

He looked towards Gilbert for help, "Right? We'd see him and give chase and he'd just up and disappear!"

"Well I guess it would make some sense. You and me are the best trackers in the village, yet we would always lose him." Gilbert agreed, looking thoughtful.

"Or maybe he's just smarter then you two" Ludwig huffed, "Feliciano manages to evade you two."

"That's because he's a fast scaredy-cat" Francis argued, shaking his head, "He and his brother don't count."

"Ve…"

"Yeah, Gilbert and Mathias can track any of us through the woods because we try and hide, Feli and Lovi just run" Antonio finally spoke up, nodding in agreement.

"Well he definitely ain't fast! He hides by casting spells, I'm tellin' ya!"

"Alright Mathias, we'll take your word for it" Tino finally replied, appeasing the loud blond. "But he's not bothering the village—and before you say he attacked you, remember _you_ provoked him first."

Mathias pouted, realizing he had to get more concrete proof for any of his friends to believe him.

Then an idea struck him. If he could figure out where the witch lived, then he could bring everyone there and they could see for themselves what a danger he was! It was perfect. Now Mathias just had to plan out how he would do it…

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

A merry tune could be heard whistling through the forest. Yes sir, Alfred was one happy guy: his axe resting lightly on broad shoulders, a spring in his step, and a song in his heart. The day was beautiful and the forest was peaceful.

While originally from a village southeast of here, Alfred had the soul of an explorer and decided to venture away from his home in search of adventure by circling the mountain.

Around his waist were necessary survival tools such as a hunting knife, a hammer, and of course the holder for his axe. On his back he carried rope, a hammock, fire starters, extra clothes, a few emergency food provisions, and a small first-aid kit consisting of disinfectants, salves, and bandage wraps.

He was excited to visit the nearby village, especially because he hadn't had any human contact since he left home three weeks ago. Four days into his journey he almost turned back because of that reason- Alfred was social by nature- but toughed it out.

He was glad he did; the land around the mountain base was beautiful and invigorating. The seventeen year old finally felt like a man.

He started to whistle another tune when he heard a soft groan from the nearby foliage. It sounded almost like an injured animal, but at the same time sounded human. Being the hero he was Alfred quickly investigated.

What he saw shocked him: battered, bruised, and bloodied a small blond lay hidden in the undergrowth. Their eyes met and the stranger immediately positioned a knife in front of his body in a threatening manner.

He paid no mind, though, and reached for the other. "Whoa, you alright du-"

The knife flashed inches from his face, cutting off his movements and voice as he jumped back.

"What the heck man?"

"Stay away" the small man hissed, eyes showing no sign of fear or pain.

Confused, Alfred shifted towards him yet again "You look like shit dude, lemme help you."

The other man fell silent as if considering his offer. His muscles were tense, he felt no pain, yet he knew he was injured and needed to treat himself quickly.

"_Vil du hjelpe meg_?" Lukas whispered, injecting a bit of magic into his words to test the truth of the stranger's offer. He's never seen this man before, but that doesn't mean he could be trusted. Lukas had to be careful not to get injured further- or worse, die. He had a responsibility and if he was gone Arthur was doomed. He had to be sure the stranger truly meant no harm.

Alfred's eyes clouded over in confusion and unknowingly responded to the enchanted question: "What do you mean? Of course I will."

Lowering the knife the sorcerer nodded, giving the other man permission to help him stand up and support his trembling muscles.

"Do you live in the nearby village?"

"No." Lukas grunted, struggling to support his own weight. "I live in the woods. My hut is about a kilometer south of here."

Not to mention the supplies he had stashed on the outskirts of the woods. There was no telling if they were still here anyway, humans or animals could have easily pillaged it.

"Alright" was all Alfred said as he assisted the smaller male. It would take a while to reach the hut.

OoOoOoOoOo

"I will be alright from here" Lukas spoke, pulling out of the stranger's grip.

Alfred looked confused, "What do you mean? Don't you want help cleaning and wrapping your wounds?" A long pause followed his question.

"Fine" he finally replied, whispering "_vis deg_" under his breath as he continued forward. After another turn through the woods Lukas' home came into view, the spells hiding it had been lifted.

"Wow, it looks pretty old" the other commented, helping Lukas in.

"It was built a while ago, but it's solid and cozy" he murmured, landing heavily in a wooden chair. "Go into that room" he nodded to the left "And grab my first aid kit. It should be in the drawer to the left of the bed."

Following the sorcerer's directions Alfred quickly acquired the kit and went to work. Lukas stayed quiet during the ordeal; he could feel the sting of each wound, but the pain barely registered.

It was weird, really. When he first got cursed Lukas could still easily feel anything physical that happened to him. Yet as time went on, even that ability was dulled. It bothered him.

"How'd this stuff happen, anyway?" Alfred asked, curiosity getting the better of him mas he observed the large splotches of bruising on the pasty torso.

"Had a rough night" was all Lukas said, carefully watching the teenager.

Alfred laughed "Alright I won't press. But" his eyes sparkled "I have a question for you."

Blank blue eyes blinked at the bright blue. He said nothing but motioned for the other to continue.

"I've heard rumors that there's a dragon living in those mountains" he pointed to the south window. "You know anything about that?"

Lukas felt his blood run cold even though his face revealed nothing.

"Where did you hear that?"

"It's a rumor I heard on my journey" he answered. "Plus, no one who goes up in the mountains ever returns. There are stories that go back centuries about a dragon living in the mountain, too.

"Apparently, 600 years ago, someone managed to kill the dragon and the mysterious disappearance stopped for a few centuries." Alfred continued, sounding really excited. "But they've been happening more and more over the past century."

Lukas scoffed "You don't really believe in dragons, do you?" '_Please say no'_.

"I dunno" Alfred answered, a grin flashing over his face "but I plan to find out!"

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><p><strong>Hope this chapter was good! Remember to leave a review if you have a question, piece of advise, etc!<strong>

**Also! I got an anonymous review from a visitor Nekomaki last chapter, and I would just like to apologize to you! I feel really bad for messing up Norwegian grammar, but I don't know anyone who speaks the language and have to rely on Google Translate- though I do try and check other translation sites and such- and I wish I didn't have to but I haven't been able to find a book on Norwegian Grammar at my local bookstores, let alone an English-Norwegian dictionary! Again I apologize, but thank you so much for pointing out my error last chapter!**

**Hopefully I got them right this time:**

**"Vil du hjelpe meg" translates to 'Will you help me?'...I originally wanted it to be something different but didn't want to ruin/butcher the language again. And it still works.  
>"Vis deg" is along the lines of 'show yourself' (thank you Ao-Namikaze!)<br>**

****France. Frog. Get it? ...sorry, I found it funny XD**

**Next chapter may also take a bit more than two weeks, depending. College is getting a bit busier and more hectic, leaving me with less time to work on my stories.**

**Thanks again!**

_**~Cheetay**_


	4. Chapter Three

**ACK! I am so sorry everyone! A lot has been going on with school. I was in the pit band for a Musical my school put on, so that consumed my life for about three weeks (a musical called The Drowsy Chaperone-very funny and very...interesting. I loved it) but it, and my big research paper, is over now! All that's left before Thanksgiving is a biology exam, but that'll be easy. Thank you so much for your patience!  
><strong>

**Anyway, I'm so glad so many of you like the story so far! Enjoy this next chapter, as well!**

**I don't own Hetalia**

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><p><strong>Chapter<em> Three: A Light in the Dark<em>**

The stranger was peacefully slumbering in his bed, and Lukas had to figure out what to do with him.

He could easily kill the teen, which would fix the immediate problem of Arthur being exposed (or worse, killed), but that wouldn't stop the rumors that were spreading through the land. As the dragon took over more and more of his friend, it would become more aggressive and actively hunt out any humans nearby.

Lukas could think of no solution to the long-term problem other than changing Arthur back into a man. His knew friend didn't want that until he could find a cure for the original curse, though.

He was at a loss.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Moments later Lukas jolted awake and looked around, realizing he had fallen asleep while keeping an eye on the stranger. He rolled his stiff shoulders and stood from the chair he fell asleep in. He stretched quickly before peering into his bedroom.

What he saw make his blood run cold;  
>Alfred was gone.<p>

The bed was messily made and all of Alfred's gear was gone. The bed still held a bit of heat, though, so the boy couldn't have gone too far.

These were the moments when Lukas appreciated not feeling emotions—instead of freaking out he could think calmly and logically. This thinking brought him to only one possibility…

Alfred had gone off to search for the rumored dragon. For Arthur.

He cursed loudly before bolting out of his house, slamming his front door opened in the process.

The door began to slowly creak closed, but stopped just short of closing. Lukas was already a good distance from the house and didn't notice the opening that was barely a centimeter in size.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Footfalls crashed mercilessly through the woods. The cause of this commotion was an annoyed boy, roughly nineteen years old, who only had one thing on his mind—or, rather, one person.

He had left his village about an hour ago, upset with the fact that none of his friends had believed that he was attacked by the witch.

"They want evidence? I'll find them evidence. Then I can get rid of the stupid witch" Mathias growled as he forced his way through the undergrowth.

_'You don't really want that.'_

"Of course I do! There isn't a single story about a witch being good—they should be killed before they cause trouble."

_'There have been numerous opportunities for him to cause trouble, though, and he didn't'_ the voice in his head argued. _'There's a different reason you're so obsessed with him. You just won't admit it.'_

The blond paused at this, eyes darkening in thought. "Perhaps, but in the end I want what's bested for the village…"

He grinned victoriously when no response was made and continued on his way. There was no reason to his hunting other than protecting his village; avoiding the possible dangers the sorcerer could bring.

Definitely no hidden motive.

OoOoOoOoOo

After some careful navigation through the woodlands, Mathias was about to give up his search and head back home. Everything looked normal and there was no sign of the magical man.

Then something caught his eye.

Something didn't fit right in the picture; the tree a few meters to his left seemed incomplete. The bark flowed evenly around the tree except for one small spot where it seemed to be warped.

Cautiously he approached the oddity, eyes moving over it in a calculating fashion. The crack was about as thick as his pinkie and ran upwards about five feet.

Boldly he reached out and touched the peculiarity, grunting with surprise as his hand reached through the blackness. He curled his fingers around what felt like a plank of wood and pulled.

All of a sudden the tree section moved and the black shimmered before revealing what it was hiding: a room.

More specifically, the inside of a house.

Mathias couldn't believe what he had found—it _had_ to be the witch's house! A house hidden in plain sight by magic. Mathias was pretty certain that this was the house of _his_ witch, too. It made perfect sense.

Quiet as a church mouse, the spikey-haired blond eased open the door and slid into the hut, quickly getting to work. He checked each of the three rooms thoroughly, the grin on his face receding when he realized the house was empty.

The sorcerer wasn't home.

Frowning, Mathias decided to peak at the tomes and other books that lined the shelves. The kitchen held mostly hand-written journals with food recipes, most of them yellow with age.

The workroom, as Mathias decided to call it, held what he had expected to find. There were tomes magic spells, books on spell mixtures, but they were few in numbers compared to what else he found: history books. Books about distant lands, theories, and unreal creatures.

In fact, he found about a dozen books on dragons. There were also quite a few about curses, though to Mathias' confusion they focused more on removing them rather than casting them.

Glancing around the neat house once more, Mathias decided to snoop just a little bit more...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The sound of panting, crunching leaves, and quick patters were all that filled the woods as Lukas raced up the mountainside, hoping he could catch Alfred before it was too late.

Before Alfred found out about Arthur.

Before the dragon attacked Alfred.

Before more innocent blood was spilled and stained his hands.

He pushed his legs to go faster up the steep landscape, panting harder and trying to ignore the stabs in his sides and burning in his lungs and limbs.

Not even realizing that he was feeling pain. Lukas, the one cursed to be unfeeling with a heart of ice.

Closer and closer he became to the mountain summit; Arthur's home. With still no sign of the young woodsman, too. Lukas did not see him until he had reached the overhang above the clearing Arthur's cave was in.

What he saw brought ice to his veins: just a dozen yards (or just under a dozen meters) away from the teen loomed the dragon. Its forest green eyes were dark; ivory fangs flashed in his snarl; muscles tensed and readied for attack.

"Move!" Lukas shouted to Alfred, still too far away to do anything. He couldn't think.

But the idiot didn't move. He just stood there with wide eyes that never left the mighty dragon whose roar caused even the rocks to tremble in fear. The beast was slowly lumbering closer to the rooted blond, and Lukas' body just wouldn't cooperate.

Fear and worry buzzed throughout his body—even though he couldn't feel the emotions, he knew they were there. They were keeping his body from moving and his brain from thinking of a solution.

Then something astonishing happened. The bright flame that had been building in the back of the dragon's throat died out and it stopped its advancements towards Alfred.

Those savage, dark forest green eyes softened and slowly faded back to bright emerald green. Arthur stretched out his muzzle until he and Alfred were eye to eye; large nostrils flared slightly as the human's scent was taken in and processed.

His head then turned to Lukas, eyes holding a puzzled expression. All the sorcerer could do was blink and wonder just what had occurred. Arthur came to his senses without him needing to utter a spell, something that hadn't occurred since the beast succeeded in taking his friend over for the first time.

"Lukas, who is this?" The sorcerer's friend growled, turning his gaze back to the blond woodsman.

Finally finding himself able of motion, Lukas padded up to stand beside the other human. "Arthur this is Alfred, he aided me last night after…" He trailed off, not wanting to worry either of them. "Anyway, I allowed him to stay in my northern hut last night. Only to find he had vanished the next morning" his icy eyes narrowed, shooting a cold glare at Alfred.

The victim raised his hands nervously in surrender. "I was curious. Your house was filled with books—many of them on dragons. It was suspicious, so I decided to investigate." He turned his large, awe-struck blue eyes to the dragon.

"And look how magnificent he is! And you know him, Lukas? Wow…" he breathed out softly, body practically shaking in excitement. Arthur looked happy at the compliment, as well.

A rumble vibrated in the dragon's chest. "You two are welcomed to stay for a while, if you wish. Our last meeting was short, Lukas, and it has been a while since I conversed with someone other than you…" his eyes flickered back to Alfred. "Would you like to hear a story, Alfred?"

"About why you're a dragon, and how Lukas knows about you, and if you're behind the disappearances, and what being a dragon is like, and, and-"

Arthur cut the rambling off with a sharp snort. "Yes yes, all in due time" he settled down and patted the ground with his tail. "Sit, and Lukas and I will explain everything to you."

"Are you sure about this, friend?" the sorcerer asked quietly so that only the dragon's ears could hear.

"There's something about him, Lukas. Surely you can tell as well?" Arthur replied, serving no further explanation. "Now, let us start at the beginning, when Lukas and I turned eighteen and began to study under a powerful, well-known sorceress."

"How long ago was that?" Alfred asked, blue eyes wide with joy and curiosity.

"A long time ago, Alfred, a very long time ago… now, may I continue?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Much to the snooping blond's annoyance, the sun was beginning to set. Realizing he had to return to his village, Mathias decided to leave the sorcerer's hut and return at a later date—hopefully when the magic user was actually home.

Exiting the house he hesitated; the structure was likely to be hidden again once the door shut, making it difficult for him to find it again.

So he opened the door before carefully dragging his knife into the 'tree' to the left of the door. It was the same height as the doorknob and ran parallel from the ground, about 5 inches in length. With the mark completed, Mathias carefully closed the enchanted door and watched as it disappeared from sight.

But his gash was still there, pointing him directly to where the knob is.

A grin spread across his face. _'Perfect.'_

* * *

><p><strong>Hope that's okay! Story's moving along~ But there is still plenty that needs to be revealed, yes?<br>**

**Translations:**

None

**See you all next chapter! It shouldn't take too long, but next chapter may be my last update until my finals are all over. **

**Check out my profile page and take the toll at the top, I need to know what I should spend my time doing over break and before finals! (other than studying, of course. Hah)**

_**~Cheetay**_


	5. Chapter Four

**So instead of studying for my bio test, I whipped this up. Kind of a 'sorry' for not updating for nearly a month, haha!  
><strong>

**Anyway, thank you so much for your follows, faves, and reviews! They made me oh so happy~Enjoy this chapter, as well!  
><strong>

**I do not own Hetalia.**

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><p><strong><em>Chapter 4: An Enchanted Meeting<em>**

The sun was just shy of setting when Alfred and Lukas had finally made it back down the mountainside. The seventeen year old had barely ceased his talking for more than a moment to breathe since they started back, and it was beginning to grind on Lukas' nerves.

"I just can't believe something like this is real! Hey Lukas, do you think tomorrow we could go back?"

Lukas sighed, "The problem with that, Alfred, is that Arthur is very rarely himself. You should count yourself very lucky he happened to snap out of the dragons control before the fire burnt you to a crisp."

His companion's shoulders drooped and his body literally seemed to deflate in sadness, "Oh…"

Another sigh. "We will plan another trip for the day after tomorrow, at sunrise. Alright?"

"Awesome, I can't-"

"Until then, Alfred" Lukas interrupted, turning to give him a stern stare. "You must promise to keep this to yourself and not breathe a word to anyone. Do you understand?"

"Well…" the boy scratched the back of his neck, as if nervous. "A-actually, I've never been too good at keeping secrets. It's just not heroic, ya know?" He gave a weak laugh when Lukas stopped moving. "B-but, I was thinkin', maybe you could put a spell on me to keep me from… you know, mentioning anything about Arthur or you? You can do that, right?"

Lukas paused to take this in. "Yes," he replied after a minute, "I suppose I can. Give me one moment, then hold out your tongue" he ordered, gathering his magic.

"Like thith?" Alfred asked, tongue poking out from between his teeth. A nod was his only confirmation.

"Now…" Lukas murmured, taking hold of the teen's tongue, "_du vil ikke snakke om magi og Arthur._" A moment later a loud noise was heard, similar to the whistle of a boiling tea kettle, and Lukas released the wet muscle.

"Ow, ow, ow, OW!" Alfred yelped, jumping a good four feet away from the smirking sorcerer. He poked his tongue back out of his mouth and tried to look at it, sky blue eyes crossed and concentrating. A small ring could be seen on his tongue, just a touch darker than the rest of the muscle's surface. His eyes flickered up and focused on Lukas.

"What the heck was that?" he asked, moving his tongue carefully around in his mouth. Just as quickly as it came, the pain had disappeared.

The sorcerer scoffed, "Well, you did ask me to cast a spell on you. Now you physically cannot talk about magic or anything relating to Arthur; the spell won't let you."

"Wow…" Alfred murmured, moving his tongue around his mouth once more. "That's really freaking awesome!"

Lukas looked into the bright, baby blue eyes and actually smiled a bit. There was something about the young man that intrigued him—after all, Alfred had managed to drag Arthur from the clutches of the Dragon's mind. Not only that, but his friend seemed happy interacting with the boy. An image of his best friend, smiling and human again, filled his mind.

_'Could this be important for breaking her curse..?'_ he thought, glancing the woodsman over. _'He was able to make more progress with Arthur in a few hours than I could in a few centuries… I wonder…'_

"-kas? Lukas, hey!"

The sorcerer blinked, focusing once again on his companion. "Yes, Alfred, what is it?"

A smile graced the teen's lips. "Are we going back to your place now?" he asked, head tilting to one side.

Lukas thought a moment before shaking his head. "No, Alfred. You must continue on to the village now. My home is small and cannot comfortably house two people-the village has a nice inn you should stay in. People your age, too." He added.

"But we're still going to go back and see A-…Ar-…" Alfred's brow furrowed in confusion, unable to figure out why he couldn't utter 'Arthur.' His eyes lit up with realization a few moments after and gave a small laugh. "Well, I'll still see you at sunrise the day after tomorrow, right?"

Lukas nodded, "Yes, of course. We will meet at the base of the mountain, by that stream I showed you."

"Perfect!" Alfred cheered.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Trudging back through the forest towards his village slowly, the man's thoughts were focused on the plot brewing within.

"…you must continue on to the village now…"

His ears pricked and his curiosity spiked; that voice sounded eerily familiar. Careful not to make a sound, he crept in the direction the voice had come from.

"…nice inn you should stay in. People your age, too."

Peering around the tree, Mathias was pleasantly surprised to see the sorcerer he had spent the day hunting for. Just as he was about to make his presence known, however, he noticed the other person present—namely, the one Lukas was conversing with.

"But we're still going to go back and see A-…Ar-…"

There was a long pause, the boy's face contorting in a way that gave away his confusion. But what was he confused about..?

"Well, I'll still see you at sunrise the day after tomorrow, right?" The unknown boy said, looking expectantly at the sorcerer.

_'What the heck is going on here? Who's that other guy?'  
>Jealous, are we?<em> A voice echoed in his head.  
><em>'Of course not! Just curious, wondering what the witch is up to now'<em> Mathias huffed quietly, eyes focusing on Lukas as he spoke again:

"Yes, of course. We will meet at the base of the mountain, by that stream I showed you."

"Perfect!" The boy grinned, throwing a fist in the air.

Mathias could feel annoyance and anger boil up through his body. Then, it disappeared as he processed what the sorcerer had said: the stream at the base of the mountain. Sunrise two days from now.

A grin spread across the tall, spiky-hair blond's face as yet another plan took root in his mind. He stepped out from his hiding spot and opened his mouth to announce his presence-

"Oh! Hello there, Mr. Woodsman!"

Only to be beaten by the friendly, light-haired blond whom he shared a village with.

Surprise flickered through Lukas' eyes, but nothing showed on his face nor his body. On the other hand, Alfred's eyes grew wide and his body grew straighter subconsciously, as if instinctively trying to appear more intimidating.

Frowning, Mathias retreated back to hiding spot in the dark shade. He watched as a small, seemingly fake smile peaked on Lukas' lips.

"Hello, sir" he murmured, voice quiet and pleasant.

The new arrival smiled, "Hello! I'm not sure we've formally met—I'm Tino, I live in the nearby village."

Lukas bowed his head slightly, "Nice to formally meet you, Tino. I am Lukas; I am rather sure you've heard of me, if you are from the nearby village."

"Oh yes, I have heard—I do not believe much of what I hear, however." Tino smiled, nodding to Alfred, "And you are?"

Ice blue eyes flickered his muted teenage companion, "this is Alfred. He is a traveler from a village across the mountain."

Alfred found his voice and stammered a nervous hello.

Tino's smile grew "it's nice to meet you, Alfred. You must have traveled a long way."

Finally finding his confidence again, Alfred returned the smile. "Yeah, it took me about three weeks to reach this forest—I had just arrived last night when I ran into Lukas."

"Oh?" Tino's face turned curious, asking the silent question of 'what happened next?'

Lukas cleared his throat. "I had a rough night and fell from a tree while trying to harvest empty bird nests" he easily lied. "Alfred aided me back to my house and treated my wounds. In return I allowed him to rest overnight; today he wished to help me with my chores, worried that I might still be injured."

Tino nods again as something akin to realization flickered in his eyes.

"Actually, Alfred was wondering if you might be able to show him to the village in. I would love to have him longer, but my house is not made for two people." Lukas explained, nudging the teen gently in the arm.

He actually takes the hint and nods happily, "Yep! I was looking forward to resting in your village a few weeks before continuing on my journey." He paused and, seeing the look in Tino's eyes, continued: "I wish to explore the lands around the mountain and be home before winter hits."

"Of course." Tino kept smiling, "It was nice speaking to you, Lukas. You should stop at the village more often than you do," his eyes flashed, "it may help the rumors spreading about you, and keep the village youngsters from bothering you as much."

He bowed, "Thank you for your kind invitation. I will consider it, though I must say I am used to solitude and not very good with human interaction."

The man just hummed, "I can understand that, but still." He turned to Alfred, "Come, it's getting dark and you must be hungry. Good day, Lukas."

"I'll see ya around, Lukas" Alfred called over his shoulder, grinning.

"Farewell Tino, Alfred. I'm sure I will see you again soon." Lukas grunted, watching the pair walk away.

His head then turned to the right, eyes looking directly at the others hiding spy. "I am well aware you are there, boy."

There was a long pause before branches rustled, and the tall blond pulled himself away from the shadows. His eyes narrowed and he spat out "how?"

Bored, ice blue eyes looked over the Mathias' body. "You aren't exactly quiet. That, and you momentarily revealed yourself before Tino arrived.

"What is it you want," the question came out more as a statement, further aggravating the taller male.

Mathias slowly stalked towards Lukas, blue eyes sparkling in the dim light. He stopped after a few feet, however, eyes clouding in confusion. "Why'd you lie to Tino? He knows what happened last night, after all."

Lukas eyed the other wearily. An emotion he couldn't pinpoint caused his chest to become tight and his head to grow light-headed. He couldn't remember ever feeling this way; a small amount of fear pulsed through his body at this alien feeling.

And more fear yet at the fact _he was feeling_.

He had to force himself to swallow the lump in his throat before replying: "Alfred did not know what had happened, and I wished to keep it that way."

The blue eyes darkened and narrowed further, "Who's that Alfred guy, anyway?"

A pulse of annoyance ran through Lukas' body. "Why don't you go ask him? He _is_ staying in your village, after all.

"Now, if you'll excuse me. I must be off." He huffed, turning away from Mathias. He heard a low growl sound from behind him, but nothing that signaled the man had followed.

"Just be careful, witch. I'll get you one of these days" Mathias spat as the sorcerer disappeared into the dark woods.

With the start of a snarl on his lips, the tall, spiky-haired blond started back to his village, intent on 'getting to know' this Alfred a bit more.

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><p><strong>Well? Whatcha think? This chapter was much easier to write than chapter 3... I sort of hit a wall and had no idea what to write about, which is one of the reasons it took so long to update haha. I already have an idea for what chapter 5 will be about, so expect a timely update for that (you know, a week or two, depending on my freetime over Thanksgiving break).<strong>

**Translations:**

**_du vil ikke snakke om magi og Arthur_: You will not speak about magic or Arthur. (Thank you so much Ao-Namikaze for helping me with the translation!)**

**So anyone wanna guess what chapter 5 will bring~? Now that Mathias is suspicious and jealous and Alfred can't talk about anything related to magic or dragons or Artie? Hah!  
>Also, go check out the poll on my profile! So I know where to spend my time over my break ;)<br>**

**Thanks again!**

_**~Cheetay**_


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